Book holder



L- E. MAGERS A ril 6, 1965 BOOK HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4,1963 INVENTOR. LLOYD E. MAGERS,DECEASED, BY STATE BANK AND TRUSTCOMPANY, EXECUTOR A ()RNE YS L. E. MAGERS April 6,1965

BOOK HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1963 INVENTOR. LLOYD E. MAGERSBY STATE BANK AND TRUST CQMPAN DECEASED, Y, EXECUTOR I A 'I TORNE YSBYEZ:

United States Patent 3,176,953 BOOK HOLDER Lloyd E. Magers, deceased,late of Evanston, IlL, by State Bank and Trust Company, executor,Evanston, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Gaylord Bros, Inc.,

Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No.328,127

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-451) This invention relates to a book holder orsupport which presents the book in an open position for full access toall of its pages while affording a reinforcing support for the bookbinding and preventing accidental dropping of the book. Specifically,the invention deals with a holder for large books such as dictionarieswhich will provide a reinforcing support for the book binding whilepreventing accidental dropping of the book.

The book holders of this invention are adapted for positioning on flator inclined surfaces either as an integral part of the surface or as aremovable member. A feature of the invention includes the provision of arounded central raised portion for supporting the bound edge of the bookso that the pages will be presented in full opened condition.

Another feature of the invention includes a provision of channel groovesto receive the side edges of the book covers for holding the book infixed relation to the holder.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of supports for thebook holder which maintain the same in an inclined position for bettervisual access to the book pages.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive support forholding books in open position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a book holderespecially useful for holding large size books such as dictionaries inan open fully supported position while retaining the book againstaccidental dropping.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a metal plate-like bookholder for supporting books in open position while reinforcing the boundedge of the book to prevent loosening or tearing of the pages.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a book holderattachment for a mobile book stand whereby an index, dictionary or thelike may be supported above the top shelf of the stand for easy accessand for quick reference to books carried on the shelf of the stand.

Other further features and objects of this will become apparent to thoseskilled in this art from the following detailed description of theannexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred examplesillustrate several embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the book holder ofthis invention mounted on a desk and supporting a large book such as adictionary in open position.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the book holder shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along the lineIII-III of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a book stand equipped with a bookholder of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view with parts in elevationtaken generally along the line VIVI of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the un der side of theholder and the back of the top shelf of the book stand of the assemblyof FIGURE 5.

As shown on the drawings:

Reference numerals 10 in FIGURES l to 4 designate the book holder ofthis invention. This holder 10 is preferably composed of sheet metal andis of generally rectangular shape with a flat main body portion 11having a central raised rounded bead or dome 12 extending across themiddle of the main body from the top to the bottom thereof.

The side edges of the body have upturned generally U-shaped flanges 13along the length thereof with each flange having a vertical end wall 13aand a horizontal top wall 13b thereby defining inwardly opening and openended channel grooves 14 at both ends of the body. 7

The bottom edge of the body 11 has raised flanges 15 on each side of thecentral bead 12.

The body 11 can rest flatwise onan inclined dictionary stand such as 16shown i'nFIGURE 1 or can be equipped with legs such as a channel member17 on the upper edge thereof shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 to hold the bodyin an inclined position. This leg 17 can span the entire width of thebody and has an upper flange 17a welded or otherwise aflixed to the backface of the body 11 along the upper edge thereof. The leg also has abotom flange 17b to which can be secureda strip of rubber, felt orthelike 18. Similar strips of rubber or felt I9 (FIGURE 4) can besecured to the back face of the body 11 along the front edge thereof oneach side of the bead 12. The strips 18 and 19 will prevent marring offurniture or the like on which the holder is placed and will alsoprovide a nonskid support for the holder. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4,a book B, such as a large dictionary, is mounted on the holder 16 bysliding the side edges of the "covers C into the channels 14 which haveopen inner sides and open top ends for ready insertion of the coveredges. The bot toms of the covers abut the flanges 15 while the back ofthe covers BC is supported on the raised bead 12. With the pages P ofthe book in open position the bound edges of these pages adjacent theback of the covers BC will be supported in a natural contour for an openbook thereby reinforcing the bound edges of the pages and presenting thepages in a flat fully visible condition. The free edges of the pages ofcourse can overlie the tops of the flanges 13b.

The channels 14 receiving the outer edges of the covers C aresufficiently high so that the covers can easily and loosely fit thereinwhile the depth of the channels is sutficient to receive the marginaledges of the covers for a snflicient distance to prevent removal of thecovers when the pages are turned.

It will be appreciated that the holder ll) of this invention takes allof the strain off of the bound edge of the book while holding the bookin an open position. In addition, of course, the holder preventsaccidental movement of the book either on an inclined top wall of thedictionary stand or on a flat desk top such as shown at 20 in FIGURE 4.Of course, if desired the book holder can be made integral with the topwall of a desk or dictionary stand in which embodiment the end channels14 can be eliminated and the raised beads 12 relied upon to hold thebook against shifting on the stand.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URES 5 to 7 the holder10a has the same main body portion, end flanges, bottom flanges andraised central head as the embodiment 10 of FIGURES 1 to 4 and theseparts have been identified by the same reference numerals. The holder1611, however, is arranged for detachable mounting on a mobile bookstand 21 composed of U-shaped end frames 22 and superimposed bookshelves 23 with each shelf having a downwardly inclined bottom wall 24and a rearwardly inclined back wall 25 together with end straps 26connecting the walls to provide book ends for books mounted on theshelves.

The back wall of the top shelf, as shown in FIGURES Z 6 and 7 has arearwardly extending flange 27 with a downturned end 28 along the lengthof the shelf and a slot 29 is provided in the flange 27 at a selectedpoint adjacent oneend of the stand. Below this slot 29 the back wall isequipped with apocket 30 welded to the back wall and providing an opentop receptacle.

, A metal strap or leg 31 is insertable through the slot 29 into thepocket 30 to be affixed to the top shelf for extending thereabove apredetermined distance. The upper end of the leg has a U-shapeddownwardly inclined support portion 32 which is welded or otherwiseaflixed to the bottom face of the main body 11 of the holder a. Theholder 10:: is thus disposed above the top of the top shelf; in aninc-lined position for supporting the book B over the books in the topshelf. The book B may conveniently be an index for an encyclopedia orthe like books supported on the shelf and will be held in an openposition for easy access.

From the above description it Will therefore be understood that thisinvention provides a holder or support for maintaining books in openposition and for reinforcing .the book binding in such open position.The holders of this invention prevent accidental dropping of the booksand are especially useful in supporting large dictionaries and the like.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A book holder which comprises a generally rectangular metal platehaving a central longitudinally extending arcuately raised beadcontoured to fit the back of a book in open position, longitudinalflanges at the side edges of the plate defining inwardly facing channelgrooves, upturned flanges at the bottom of the plate, said latterflanges terminating at the arcuately raised bead so as to lie wholly atopposite sides thereof, said channels being adapted to receive the endedges of a book cover, said raised bead being adapted tosupport thebound edge of a book and said bottom flanges being adapted to abut thebottom edges of the book cover for holding the book in an open flatposition.

2. A book holder which comprises a generally flat body having book coverreceiving channel grooves at the opposite ends thereof and a raisedcentral bead to support the bound edge of a book for holding the pagesof a book in a flat open position, abutment flanges on the bottom edgeof the body for engaging the bottom edge of the book to retain the bookin the channels and on the head,

a leg depending from one longitudinal edge of the body for holding thebody in an upwardly inclined position, and non-skid members on thebottom of the leg and on the bottom face of the body at opposite sidesof the bead and extended along the lower edge of the body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,156 5/93'Condit et al 248-449 1,330,004 2/20 Rand 248-455 7 1,880,602 10/32Utrecht 248-446 2,006,580 7/35 Broun 248-454 2,508,802 5/50 Schade108-26 2,770,914 11/56 Hooker 248-446 2,814,455 11/57 Rainey 108-283,016,650 1/62 Magers 108-32 3,039,227 6/62 Buchholtz 248-452 3,043,0477/62 LaFleur 248-454 3,099,101 7/ 63 Burris 248-441 3,106,799 10/63Gawthrop 248-452 3,149,724 9/64 Magers 211-42 B. SHERRY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A BOOK HOLDER WHICH COMPRISES A GERNERALY RECTANGULAR METAL PLATEHAVING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ARCUATELY RAISED BEADCONTOURED TO FIT THE BACK OF A BOOK IN OPEN POSITION, LONGITUDINALFLANGES AT THE SIDE EDGES OF THE PLATE DEFINING INWARDLY FACING CHANNELGROVES, UPTURNED FLANGES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PLATE, SAID LATTER FLANGESTERMINATING AT THE ARCURATELY RAISED BEAD SO AS TO LIE WHOLLY ATOPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, SAID CHANNELS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ENDEDGES OF A BOOK COVER, SAID RAISED BEAD BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THEBOUND EDGE OF A BOOK AND SAID BOTTOM FLANGES BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT THEBOTTOM EDGES OF THE BOOK COVER FOR HOLDING THE BOOK IN AN OPEN FLATPOSITION.